Bracket



oct. 17, 1939. J. SLADEK 2,176,644

I BRACKET Filed July 1o, 19:59'

www W Patented Oct. 17, 1939 UNITED STATS "ATENT osi-i 4 Claims.

This application is, in part, a continuation of my co-pending application, Serial No. 255,611, iled February 10, 1939.

This invention relates to brackets and more particularly to those employed in mounting bathroom and kindred xtures such as towel racks, glass holders and the like, and which brackets are either integral with the xtures to be supported thereby or constitute a separable part or parts of the xture or the like.

In those instances where brackets of the aforesaid type are xedly secured in position as by being screwed to a wall or the like, the fastening means, that is, the heads thereof are exposed and this detracts from the appearance of the brackets and the fixture as a whole. Moreover, it is a somewhat arduous task to remove such brackets and fixtures from the wall or the like to which they are secured when it is desirable so to do, as when decorating the wall either by applying wall paper thereto or when painting or otherwise refinishing the same. Especially when such a wall is being painted or the like, and when the brackets and xtures of the aforesaid type are not removed during such painting or the like it has been observed that the paint, enamel or other material being applied to the Wall is ofttimes smeared over the brackets and xtures and this materially detracts from the appearance thereof if permitted to remain, and when the paint or the like is permitted to dry on the fixtures they are often damaged when attempt is made to scratch or otherwise remove smeared paint therefrom. Furthermore, if the iixtures are not removed, it is diii'icult to apply wall paper or the like to the wall and even at best a rather unsightly appearance is created about the edges of the brackets or fixtures because it is diiiicult to conform the edges of the wall paper or the like neatly to the edges of the fixtures.

In View of the foregoing and other difficulties which have been encountered in the use of bathroom and like fixtures, the primary objects of this invention are to so arrange the brackets supporting such fixtures on a Wall or the like that removal of the fixtures will be facilitated and also to so arrange the brackets that the means employed for fastening them to ay Wall or the like will be concealed. Y

Other objects are to provide a novel bracket of the aforesaid type embodying xed and removable portions; to enclose the fastening means for the brackets within the removable portions thereof; to so arrange such fastening means that release thereof may be expeditiously effected when it is desired to remove the removable and enclosing portion of a bracket from the Wall or the like on which it is mounted; to rely upon a binding action to secure the removable portion 55 of the bracket in position; to produce the binding action by the use of a resilient member xedly mounted in the removable portion of the bracket; to afford access to the resilient member to enable iiexing thereof when the binding action is to be released to permit removal of the removable portion of the bracket; and to expedite the ilexing of the resilient member by affording a guide thereon for insuring proper positioning of the implement employed to ex the member. 15

Another important object of the present invention is to expedite removal of brackets of the aforesaid type and ancillary objects are to insure separation of the xed and removable portions of the bracket upon release of the means retaining such parts in assembled relation and toyieldingly urge such portions away from each other.

Other and further objects of the present invention are set forth hereinafter in the following description and claims and are shown in the accompanying drawing which, by way of illustration, shows preferred embodiments and the principle thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle. Other embodiments of the invention employing the same or equivalent principle may be used and structural changes may be made as desir-ed by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View in which preferred forms of my novel invention are shown mounted on the wall of a bathroom;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view in which a portion of a bracket embodying my invention is broken away;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of the bracket shown in Fig. 2 and in which a portion of the bracket is broken away;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the fixed portionof my improved bracket;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation looking into the interior of the removable portion of my improved bracket; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a bracket embodying an aspect of my invention not included in the bracket shown, for example, in Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown a bathroom xture, generally indicated by F, consisting of a bar 6 of substantially rectangular cross-section which is supported by brackets 1 that are secured to the wall W of a bathroom in the present instance, this fixture being of the type known as a towel rack. It will be understood, however, that my invention is not limited to towel racks for the novel bracket which constitutes the subject matter of this invention could be employed in a wide variety of instances Where it is desirable to support an article in its position of use on a wall or the like.

As has been explained, one of the important objects of the present invention is to expedite removal of a fixture such as the iixture F when the wall or the like on which it is mounted is to be painted or otherwise finished and, of course, there are many other circumstances in which it will be desirable to enable a iixture as F to be removed from its position of use.

In order to enable the foregoing to be accomplished the bracket 1 in the present instance comprises a iixed part, generally indicated by 8, and a removable part, generally indicated by 9.

The xed part 8 includes a base plate I0 having a post I I extending outwardly therefrom. In the present instance the base plate I has openings provided therein for the reception of suitable fastening means such as the screws I2 that are passed through these openings and iixed in a wall or the like to which the base plate II) is to be secured. A lug I3 is provided on the base plate I9 in the present instance along one edge thereof and serves as a locating means, this lug, as will be described more fully hereinafter, being arranged in a predetermined position with respect to the wall or the like at the time the base plate IJ is secured thereto so that when the removable part 9 of the bracket 'I is installed on the fixed part 8 a cooperatingly formed portion on the part 9 will cooperate with the lug I3 and dispose the removable part 9 in a predetermined position.

The removable part 9 includes a face plate I4 which is preferably formed` to have a pleasing outline and which has the outwardly disposed face recessed, as indicated at I5, to receive the base plate I9 when the face plate I4 is arranged over this base plate. A stem I6 is unitary with and extends outwardly from the face plate preferably medially thereof and has a pocket I'I formed therein, which opens into the recess I5 in the base plate Ill. A socket I8 extends through the stem I5 from the pocket I'I and preferably this socket is of a coniiguration complementary to the post II so that the post may be freely extended thereinto. The inner wall of the pocket I'I is preferably recessed, as indicated at I9, about the disclosed end of the socket I8.

A resilient, substantially disc-shaped member 2i] is provided which has an opening 2| medially positioned therein of a size slightly greater than the cross-sectional area of the post II. "The member 20 also includes an ear 22.that is adapted to be rested against the lower wall of the pocket Il and a screw 23 or the like secures this ear to this wall of the pocket. The remaining portion of the member 20 is inclined outwardly away from the ear 22 so as to extend angularly across the pocket I'I and that portion of the member 29 opposite the ear 22 is bent toward` thev bottom of the pocket II to provide a guide flange 24. An opening 25 is provided in the stem I6 to open into the pocket II at a position opposite to that part of the pocket whereat the ear 22 is fast.

The stem portion I 6 terminates in a head 26 and in the present instance where the bracket 'I is to support the bar 6 of a towel rack, this head is provided with a socket 2'I shaped complementary to the cross-sectional configuration of the bar 6 so that the bar may be seated therein. It Will be understood, however, that the removable part 6 may be formed as the unitary part of a fixture such as a glass holder, a clothes hook, a tooth brush support or the like and that therefore it is the interior construction of the removable part 9 that is important in so far as the present invention is concerned.

It is of course important that the bracket be accurately arranged in position so that, in an instance such as the present one Where a socket 2T is provided, it may be disposed in position to properly support thebar as 6, and this is accomplished in the present instance by providing a recess 28 that is shaped complementary to the lug I3. The location of the recess 28 is determined with respect to the remaining elements of the removable part 9 so that when the base plate ID is secured in position with the lug I3 in a predetermined position and the removable part 9 is connected to the fixed part 8, the bracket l will be arranged in proper position of use.

In use the xed part 8 is secured to a wall or the like in a manner previously explained and then the removable part 9 is installed thereon by causing the post II to pass into the socket I6. In the course of passing the post II into the socket I6 the post will pass through the opening 2I in the resilient member 20, it being understood that the opening 2l and the socket Iii are aligned with each other. As the post II passes through the opening 2I, the resilent member will be bent about the ear 22, and when the face plate I seats over the base plate I0 the resilient member 29 will resist outward movement of the removable part 9 by binding on the post II, a wedging action resulting when the attempt is made to move the part 9 and therefore the disc 2U along the post II.

However, when it is desired to remove the removable part 9 all that need be done is to insert a suitable implement through the opening 25 and bend the resilient member 29 toward the bottom of the pocket I'I and in so doing the binding action between the member 2I and the post II will be released whereupon the removable part 9 may be removed freely. The guiding flange 29 facilitates insertion of such an implement in proper position with respect to the member 2G to enable it to be bent in the manner just described. It will be understood that the opening 25 is preierably located at what will be the bottom oi the removable part 9 for so to do enhances the appearance of the bracket as a whole and also tends to overcome the likelihood of surreptitious removal of the bracket for with the opening in this position it will be more or less concealed and will not oifer a temptation to insert implements thereinto, which might result in releasing of the member 20 which otherwise, by reason of its innate resiliency, iirmly secures the xed and removable parts of the bracket together.

In Fig. 6 I have shown another embodiment of my invention, the removable part or portion 9 in this instance terminating in an upturned portion 29 whereby a clothes hook is afforded. Those parts of the bracket la.' shown in Fig. 6 which correspond to parts described hereinabove have a corresponding reference character applied thereto with the suflix "a added to the reference character. In View of this, only those portions of the bracket Ia which differ from those hereinabove described, either structurally or functionally, are noW to be described.

In the bracket 1a, the post IIa is somewhat shorter than the post I I and the socket I 8a` is somewhat deeper than the socket I8. This enables a spring 30 to be mounted in the socket I 8a in such a Way that when the post II a is passed into the socket I8a, the spring 3l! is compressed. Then when the resilient member 20a is released from binding engagement with the post II a, the spring 30 expands wherefore the removable portion 9a is automatically forced away and separated from the Xed portion 8a which manifestly facilitates removal of the portion 9a.

It will be understood that the spring 30 is inserted into the socket I8w prior to the time the part 20a is fast in position. This provision of the spring 30 is markedly advantageous both when the bracket is mounted in its position of use and When it is to be separated for installation, it being understood that the parts 8a and 9a',l are preferably assembled as shown in Fig. 6 when packed for shipment.

It Will be manifest from the foregoing description that I have provided a bracket which accomplishes th'e above set forth and related objects and it will also be understood that While I have described these particular embodiments of my invention, these are capable of variation and modification and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the ambit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a bracket of the kind described comprising a part embodying a base adapted to be fast to a Wall or the like and including a post projecting from said base, a removable part having a socket therein into which said post may be passed, said removable part having a counterbored pocket therein, means for locking said post in said socket comprising a resilient member extended angularly across said pocket and having a portion thereof fast to a wall of said pocket, said resilient member having an opening therein, through Which said post is passed when it is inserted into said socket, sized to have a portion of the edge thereof bear against said post after passage of the post therethrough to thereby secure the removable part to said post, said removable member having an opening therein through which an implement may be inserted to flex said resilient member and thereby disengage said edge from said post to permit withdrawal of said removable member from said post.

2. A bracket as claimed in claim 1 and Wherein a spring is provided in the socket positioned to be compressed upon insertion of the post into the socket whereby upon release of th'e resilient member from the post said spring is free to eX- pand to thereby force said removable part off said post.

3. A bracket of the kind described comprising a part embodying a base adapted to be fast to a Wall or the like and including a post projected from said base, a removable part having a socket therein into which said post may be passed to thereby enable said parts to be arranged in assembled relation, means for releasably securing said post in said socket to thereby retain said parts in assembled relation, and a spring in said socket in position to be compressed upon insertion of the post thereinto whereby upon release of said securing means said spring is free to eX- pand to thereby force said removable part off said post.

4. In a bracket of the kind described comprising a part embodying a base adapted to be fast to a Wall or the like and including a post projecting from said base, a removable part having a socket therein into which said post may be passed, said removable part having a counterbored pocket therein, means for locking said post in said socket comprising a substantially flat resilient member having an ear thereon, means passed through said ear for securing said member to the inner Wall of said pocket, the main body of said member extending at an angle from said ear across said pocket having an opening therein, through which said post is passed when it is inserted into said socket, sized to have a portion of the edge thereof bear against said post after passage of the post therethrough to thereby secure the removable part to said post, a guide flange on said resilient member opposite said ear, said removable member having an opening Vtherein disposed adjacent said guide flange and through which an implement may be inserted to engage said guide flange and flex said resilient member and thereby disengage said edge from said post to permit withdrawal of said removable member from said post.

LOUIS J. SLADEK. 

